Double Booked
by Lingua Dii
Summary: Kyle must decide who he really loves: Stan or Kenny. Rated T for language.
1. Stan

I've decided to give up on most beta readers. The time it takes for them to review is too long for my liking. No offense, guys/girls.

* * *

Kenny had always been one to hook up with anyone, anywhere, for any reason. He was free of almost every restraint that most people had. Although some people thought he was taking advantage of others who genuinely liked him, he had never once lied to anyone about his intentions. This time, however, he knew it was different. For the first time in his life, Kenny was in love.  
It all started with recurring dreams, which soon turned to conscious thoughts, and, finally, general giddiness. Just hearing Kyle's name was enough to brighten his day, so, naturally, when Kyle asked to talk to him in private after school, Kenny smiled and nodded. Kyle had already told Kenny that he was gay shortly after he took Stan's place as Kyle's best friend, which made Kenny hope that maybe he had a crush on him, and was finally ready to admit it.

* * *

Just like they agreed, once the boys left school, they went straight for Kenny's house and locked themselves in Kenny's room. Kenny could feel his heart struggle against his chest, beating erratically. He couldn't keep himself from smiling, as he was too excited to hide his happiness. Kyle, however, ignored Kenny's attitude and just focused on saying what he wanted to say.

"L-Look, Ken, I don't usually... talk about this stuff, but... I don't know... I guess I trust you more than Stan."

Kenny's smile widened even more upon hearing those words.

"_Trust is an important part in any relationship._" he thought.

"I just need to get this off my chest, before I explode."  
"What is it?"  
"I... have a crush..."

"_I knew it!_"

"So... who's the l- guy?"

"_I can't let it slip that I like him, or he might be too embarrassed to tell me... Asking who's the lucky guy might be just a little too much._"

"...It's Stan."

Kenny's brain suddenly became overwhelmed with questions. Was Kyle lying? What if this was just a test of sorts? Or was he simply not what Kyle was looking for in a boyfriend?  
Kyle noticed Kenny's hesitation and absent-mindedness, which also led to his own personal inquiry. He began to wonder if trusting Kenny was the right choice.

"Stan? Really?"  
"Y-Yeah... Y-You won't tell anyone, right?"  
"N-No; of course not!"

"_I'd never do anything to hurt you._"

"Thanks..."

Kenny's disappointment over Kyle's revelation was overwhelmingly obvious, even to someone as oblivious as Kyle. He couldn't figure out why Kenny was disappointed, but he wasn't overly concerned by it either. All that mattered was that he could confide in Kenny. It had been several years since Kyle told Kenny he was gay, and even longer since he figured it out. Back then, Stan was still his best friend, yet every time he approached the subject, he became too nervous and couldn't go through with it. He knew Stan would freak out, as he always did. With Kenny, however, it was a different story. One look at Kenny, and Kyle felt confident enough to do almost anything. He felt like he could tell Kenny anything, and he would never stop being his friend. If it weren't for Kenny's apparent inability to have a serious relationship, Kyle might have developed a crush on him instead.

"_What am I saying? It's Kenny... Even if he could have an actual relationship, he's not my type... Although he is pretty cute..._"

As Kyle focused on Kenny's appearance, from his bright blue eyes to his dirty blond hair, a smile began to appear on his face, which didn't go unnoticed by Kenny. Kyle's smile didn't fade for a while, prompting Kenny to ask what was going on.

"What is it?" asked Kenny, smiling nervously.  
"I was just... Nothing."

"_Right... That's not suspicious at all._"

"So... Do you wanna talk about it, or did you just want to vent?"  
"...When you say it like that, it sounds like I'm using you."  
"Sorry... I didn't mean it like that."  
"It's OK... But you're right; I just wanted to vent. I just needed to tell someone about it."  
"Well, I'm glad you chose me."  
"Who else? You're my best friend, Kenny."

Although Kenny's smile returned from hearing that, he felt uneasy about lying to Kyle. Deep down, he wished Kyle had never told him about it.

"_Ignorance is bliss._" he thought.

Reluctantly, Kyle continued to talk about Stan and his crush on him for several minutes, completely oblivious to Kenny's discomfort. Once he was done, Kyle went home, leaving Kenny to wonder why Kyle had developed a crush on Stan, rather than Kenny himself.

"_Maybe he just doesn't like blondes..._"

* * *

Nightfall. The sun was long gone, and the moon was high in the sky. The stars were covered by thin layers of clouds that barely let the moonlight shine through. The curtains in Kenny's room diminished its intensity further, but he was accustomed to the dark, having lived without light bulbs for the better part of his childhood. Kenny was moving around under his sheets, trying to fall asleep, when an idea popped into his head. What if Kyle saw something in Stan that he didn't see in him?

"_What could Stan have that I don't? I'm nice; probably even nicer than him... I'm not ugly... At least I don't think so... What am I missing?_"

Kenny tried his hardest to figure out the answer to the question that had been plaguing his mind since his conversation with Kyle. What made Stan so special? What was he missing? After a while, he felt that he was getting close to the answer; however, the feeling didn't stay there long, nor did he fully understand the answer yet, as he fell asleep shortly afterward.

* * *

As usual, he dreamt about Kyle, and nothing more. They were walking together, yet there were no buildings, and the sky was utterly empty – no sun, moon, stars or clouds – which made it impossible to tell what time it was. Every step the boys took made Kenny's vision blurry; imperceptibly at first, but as time passed, his vision became worse, to the point that he could barely see. At that moment, Kyle reached for his hand, and his sight returned to normal. Not only that, but everything that wasn't there before – the buildings, the street, the sun and the clouds – finally appeared.

"Thanks for walking me home, Ken."

Before going inside, Kyle leaned against Kenny, to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. Kenny instinctively put his hand on his cheek and smiled as he watched Kyle go through the front door. He didn't close it, however, prompting Kenny to follow him inside.

"_Just the cheek? Well, I guess that's alright... for now..._"

Kenny took a couple of steps in the direction of Kyle's front door, but it seemed to be moving away from him. He tried running toward it, with the same result.

"_Hm..._"

Just as Kenny was about to try a third time, he woke up. He put his hand against his cheek once again and smiled.

"_That was nice, even if it was somewhat... less than what I expected... His lips are so soft..._"

"Kenny! Breakfast"  
"Coming!"

"_Well, time to stop daydreaming about Kyle..._"

Kenny smiled to himself one last time as he got up and rushed downstairs.

* * *

On his way to school, Kenny crossed paths with Kyle. Since his parents had moved away, the boys only got together during school hours. Ever since he had fallen in love with Kyle, Kenny often found himself wishing for more school hours, just so he could have more time with him. Kyle, on the other hand, didn't share Kenny's desire; not even if it meant spending more time with Stan.

"Hey, Kyle. What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at school?"

Kyle looked around himself and, realizing that he was nowhere near where he meant to go, tried to figure out what had happened to make him lose track of where he was going.

"I... I don't know."

"_How does that even happen?_"

"C'mon; I'll walk you to school."

"_Do you think I'm a little kid or something?_"

"...Thanks, Ken." said Kyle, annoyed by Kenny's phrasing.

In spite of Kyle's hesitation and tone, Kenny remained oblivious to his thoughts. His phrasing was a way for him to realize his most recent dream, even if Kyle didn't know anything about it (and probably never would). He was satisfied just by walking to school with Kyle, because he knew that was all he was going to get. He knew that he couldn't force Kyle to fall in love with him, nor could he make Kyle's crush for Stan go away. Spending time with Kyle was the best he could hope for.

* * *

During school, Kenny kept trying to stay next to Kyle, who in turn tried to stay next to Stan. Neither of them realized what the other was doing. Stan, however, was becoming annoyed by the way they almost danced around himself, yet he didn't say anything. He had been trying to ignore things that made him angry, for the sake of what few good friendships he had left. From his perspective, people seemed to overreact to him, rather than him overreacting to certain events. His unwillingness to consider any point of view except his own had resulted in the alienation of his friends, one by one, until only Kenny and Kyle were left. Cartman was also part of the group, until he moved away with his mother to another state. Stan was actually glad he lost that "friend", but the group was never the same without him. However, Kenny and Kyle weren't overly concerned about that. Neither one of them liked Cartman: Kenny because Cartman was always picking on Kyle, and Kyle because he was always being picked on. Stan was the only one of the three boys who thought the gap left by Cartman needed to be filled. He had tried to fill it with old classics, such as Butters and Token, but his cynicism drove them away. Cartman was the only one who could stand his nature, even if only because he took it out on Kyle afterward.  
Stan knew that the major reason Cartman still bullied Kyle was because he felt the need to take out his frustrations after dealing with Stan, yet he didn't do anything about it. He just wanted things to remain as they were; to preserve the _status quo_, even if it wasn't working for anyone else.

* * *

Once school was over, and much to Stan's relief, each boy went his own way. Now that they lived in separate locations, he could take a much-needed break from interacting with them. Although Stan cared about his friends, every once in a while, he needed some time for himself; something his friends would never have understood. To them, the fact that he became bored with them meant that he didn't like them. Stan had tried to convince them otherwise, but he soon found that not talking about it worked even better.

"Alright; I'll see you guys tomorrow." said Stan.  
"Same here." replied Kenny.

Kyle was so distracted that he didn't even hear anything his friends said, and simply nodded in agreement. Like Kenny, he had his own internal inquiry to resolve, although it was of a different nature. Whereas Kenny wanted to figure out what made Stan so special as to be worthy of Kyle's affection, Kyle wanted to figure out why he couldn't get Kenny out of his head. It was the reason he had wandered toward Kenny's house when he should have been walking to school, and why he could barely focus on what was going on around him. In fact, the only time he could focus on something other than Kenny was when he was thinking about Stan.  
To try to get Kenny out of his head, Kyle started making a mental list of the many differences between Stan and Kenny. He tried to focus solely on the things that made Kenny worse, like his laziness and the fact that he didn't seem interested in a real relationship, yet he couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to be him. To be free of restraint and conscience; to be able to act solely on impulse. To him, Kenny represented the ideal he had come to desire, after so many years of repressing himself: freedom.


	2. Reality

Nightfall came again, and the town of South Park came to a standstill. During the day, the town was bustling, but at night, everything froze. Even the various drug dealers all around the town – most of whom were Kenny's acquaintances – went home once the moon bathed South Park in its pale light.  
Kenny, unable to get Kyle out of his head, couldn't fall asleep. He tossed about under his sheets, trying desperately to focus solely on his need for sleep. Yet Kyle's name, his face, and even his scent all kept popping up out of nowhere.

"_Kyle..._"

Kenny glanced at the small clock on his nightstand. It was just past 2 AM, which meant that he had to be in school in under six hours.

"_I need sleep..._"

Rather than try to fight his obsession, Kenny decided to try to work with it. He focused on the fact that Kyle would never see him as anything more than a friend; that he liked Stan. After a while, he began to feel drowsy and, finally, fell asleep, with Kyle still on his mind.

* * *

Kenny opened his eyes to find himself still in front of Kyle's house. He made a run for it, but, just like before, the doorway got farther and farther away from him, until he finally gave up from exhaustion.

"_Dammit... Why can't I go inside? Wait, I've got an idea!_"

"Kyle! Kyle, get down here!" he yelled.

For a while, there was nothing, and then Kyle showed up, looking through his bedroom window. Kenny jumped and waved his arms, trying to get his attention but Kyle didn't seem to notice him; he simply moved away from the window and went back inside.

"_Kyle... Why didn't you see me?_"

Suddenly, everything went black. Kenny ignored it, however, and continued to think about why Kyle hadn't seen him.

"_That was so strange... This has never happened before... What went wrong?_"

"Kenny! Wake up, you lazy asshole!"

"_How the fuck do you always manage to bother me when I'm trying to think?_"

"KENNY!"  
"WHAT?!"  
"GET UP!"

"_Kevin..._"

Kenny was about to yell back at his brother when his eyes found their way to the clock on his nightstand. His heart began to race as he realized that he was late for school, and he hadn't even gotten dressed yet.

"_FUCK!_"

* * *

A few minutes later, Kenny was apologizing to his teacher for the delay and listening to a long speech on punctuality. However, he only noticed that with half his mind, as he was also amazed by his own speed.

"_Nothing like desperation to get the adrenaline flowing..._"

* * *

Once school was over, the boys found themselves at the entrance, ready to go their own way. Stan said his goodbyes as fast as he could, and left just as quickly. Kyle, on the other hand, followed Kenny, who kept his mouth shut all the way. He didn't even care why Kyle was sticking with him and simply enjoyed the moment. However, it was over way too quickly, and the boys arrived at Kenny's house. At that moment, Kenny felt that it was time for some answers.

"So... Why did you come here? Don't get me wrong; I'm glad you did, but... Why?"  
"...I need to talk to you about something."  
"Stan?"  
"...Kinda."  
"Well, we should go inside then... C'mon."

Kenny led Kyle into his bedroom and locked the door behind them. Kyle was somewhat uncomfortable, sitting alone with Kenny in a locked room, even though he knew Kenny would never try anything.

"_Dammit, why am I so nervous?_"

Kyle held out his hands and realized that they were shaking. Kenny noticed it too, but dismissed it as low sugar.

"Ken, I've been thinking... What if I told Stan how I feel about him? Do you think he'd be OK with that?"

"_I love it when you call me Ken._"

"I-I don't know, Kyle."

"_Of course... How could you? I don't know why I came here in the first place; it was a stupid idea._"

"C-Could you do me a favor?"  
"Sure! Anything you want." replied Kenny as quickly as he could.

To Kyle, Kenny's answer seemed just a little too eager, but he ignored it. His present concerns were far more important than Kenny's eagerness to help everyone.

"Just keep an eye on him; see if he's... you know..."

"_You can't ask me to do that... But I already agreed to help you... I'll do it for you_"

"Alright. But you know that's not something you just notice, right?"  
"I know. I just need... I need something to hold on to. Right now I don't know what I should be thinking or feeling. I need this, Ken."

Kenny gently put his arms around Kyle and squeezed him lightly. Kissing Kyle on the forehead crossed his mind, but he simply released him after a couple of seconds, in spite of his urge to do more.

"It's OK, Kyle. I'll see what I can do."  
"Thanks, Ken."

Kyle also had his urges to fight against, although his were worse than Kenny's. He didn't know what was going on in his head, only that he felt like screaming at the top of his lungs until he couldn't speak anymore.

"_Calm down... Just calm down..._"

Kyle shakingly waved Kenny goodbye and finally went home, leaving the blond boy alone to deal with his agreement. On one hand, Kenny didn't want Kyle to end up with Stan. He didn't think that Stan deserved him, nor did he want to spend the rest of his life wondering what it could've been. On the other hand, Kyle practically begged him to do it. It wasn't something he could just walk away from; not with his conscience screaming in his head, telling him otherwise.

* * *

Once Kyle found his way back into his room, the sun was already disappearing over the horizon. He glanced at it from his bedroom window, but didn't pay much attention to it beyond that. He was completely focused on the one question that had been bugging him for a while. However, now, more than ever, it haunted him constantly, even in his dreams.

"Hey, Kyle. What are you doing?"  
"...Hey. Just... thinking."  
"About what?"

Kyle's thoughts were crushed under the weight of a new dilemma. Should he tell Ike what he told Kenny? Ike had never done anything to break his trust, yet he wasn't overwhelmed with confidence. He had every reason not to doubt his brother, but he just couldn't bring himself to trust him.

"I... I'm..."  
"What?"

"_I can't._"

Kyle tried his best to explain the situation to Ike, but, when he realized he couldn't, decided to say something else that was also bothering him.

"...Do you think it's possible to have a crush on two different people?"  
"Sure. It's not like you **choose** your crushes. I thought you'd know that... You've always been the smart one."  
"...Yeah, I guessed as much. Thanks, Ike."  
"Any time, bro."

Ike knew Kyle would need some time to process everything, so he left as quietly as he could, to give Kyle some time with his thoughts. However, it wasn't Ike's answer he was focusing on. He was trying to figure out if asking Kenny to do what he should be doing was such a good idea. Like Ike, he had never done anything to deserve distrust, but it wasn't enough for Kyle. He had acted on impulse, and now he was regretting it. Kyle had always had problems trusting people, mostly due to poor self-esteem. His problems worsened over the years, to the point where he could barely trust his own brother. Kenny was one of the few people he trusted, although not completely. Nevertheless, it was done, and there was nothing he could do about it.

* * *

True to his word, and in spite of his gut telling him otherwise, Kenny spent every moment he could observing Stan's behavior. He searched for any subtle hints of Stan's sexuality, but everything told him that Stan was as straight as can be. Kyle looked at Kenny occasionally, to get an update, to which the blond boy replied by shaking his head from side to side, much to Kyle's annoyance.

* * *

Once school was over, Kyle followed Kenny to his house once again, to talk about what Kenny saw.

"So... anything?"  
"Nothing. If he's gay, he's either so far in the closet he can't think straight or... Well, or he's not gay."  
"...Are you sure?"  
"Yup." Kenny said, saddened that he couldn't tell Kyle what he wanted to hear.  
"...Thanks, Ken. And I'm sorry for dragging you into this."  
"It's OK, Kyle. You're my best friend, after all. What kind of friend would I be if I said 'no'?"

Kenny's stomach twisted itself into knots after saying that. He was lying through his teeth to his best friend. He didn't want to do what Kyle had asked, nor did he think that it was OK that Kyle had asked him in the first place. The only part that was true was his relationship with Kyle. They had been best friends for quite some time now, something that put a smile on Kenny's face every time he reminded himself of it.

"Look, Ken, I-I don't want to sound ungrateful, but I have to go home now... I need some time to... to wrap my head around this."  
"Of course... I'm sorry I didn't have good news to give you."  
"It's not your fault."

"_I shouldn't have made you do that._"

Kyle pulled Kenny into a tight hug, as a way to apologize for his mistake. He didn't let go for quite some time, however, which made both of their faces turn bright red. Once he finally let go, both boys noticed the other's blushing, but neither of them said anything or payed much attention to it.

"Thanks for everything, Kenny."

Kenny smiled one last time as he watched Kyle leave his room. He lied down on his bed, still feeling Kyle's arms around himself, and giggled. However, as the thought that Kyle liked Stan made his way into his mind, his smile slowly faded away, and only sadness remained. He started to remember all the times he had lied to Kyle, which only added to his emptiness.

* * *

Meanwhile, as Kenny tried to focus on the good aspects of his friendship with Kyle, the latter was trying to process what he had just heard from Kenny. Although his gut told him otherwise, Kyle couldn't believe any of it. He desperately wanted Stan to see him as more than just a friend; a desire that had made him blind to reality.

"_Maybe Kenny was wrong... It wouldn't be the first time._"

By the time Kyle arrived at his house, his mother was getting ready to call him on his cellphone.

"KYLE! Where have you been!?"

"_Fuck! I forgot to tell her I was going to Kenny's so we could talk._"

"I was at Kenny's... I forgot to tell you. I'm sorry."

Sheila stared at her son, whose eyes never left the floor. Her first instinct was to yell at him some more, but her husband stood up for Kyle and whispered to her that it was a simple mistake, and that she shouldn't punish him for it. Although her gut told her otherwise, she reluctantly agreed to leave Kyle alone. Realizing this, Kyle made his way into his room as quickly as his tired legs allowed him, in case his mother changed her mind about letting him off the hook.  
Kyle was in such a rush that he didn't notice his brother sitting on his bed, waiting for him. The reason for Kyle's question regarding multiple crushes had piqued his curiosity. Now he wanted to know who Kyle's crushes were.

"Hey, Kyle."  
"Fuck!"

"_That's a nice way to greet your brother..._" thought Ike as he frowned.

"S-Sorry, you scared me."

Kyle was visibly disturbed by his mother's attitude, something Ike felt empathetic to. Their mother had always been able to make everyone scared of her; even her husband. She didn't care about anything except her wishes. Kyle was her opposite on that regard: almost everything he did was to help others, without any concern for himself.

"What do you wanna talk about?"  
"Our last conversation got me curious... Who're the lucky ladies?"  
"W-Well..."  
"If you don't want to tell me, that's OK too. I was just curious."  
"N-No, that's alright... I should've told you about this before anyway."  
"Hm?"  
"It's not... They're not..."  
"What? Don't tell me you're gay."

Kyle wanted to tell Ike the truth, but the words wouldn't come out. Instead, his eyes met the floor once again, which told Ike everything he needed to know.

"O-Oh... Well, this is awkward..."  
"Yeah..."  
"So... Who're the lucky guys?"

Ike's reaction was the last thing Kyle expected, leading to a heavy silence in his bedroom that seemed to last forever.

"Y-You're not going to say anything?"  
"Kyle, you're really letting me down! I've always bragged that my brother was the smartest person in South Park, and you're ruining that reputation. Why would I care if you're into guys or girls?"  
"...I-I guess it is kinda stupid." said Kyle, relieved by his brother's words. "Thank you."  
"Any time, bro."

Once Ike left Kyle's room, the latter went to bed, still thinking about what Ike had told him.

"_Ike's right. It doesn't matter... I just hope Stan sees it that way._"


	3. Acceptance

Dawn announced itself to Kyle by the very first rays of sunshine bleeding through his bedroom curtains, and onto his eyes. Kyle's sleep was cut short as the light became more intense with each passing moment, until it filled his room completely.  
Kyle blinked and rubbed his eyes few times, still somewhat groggy, and finally felt confident enough to open them. Nevertheless, he just stared at the ceiling, his mind completely empty. He enjoyed the brief peace he had, whilst trying to ignore what the future held for him. However, the future became the present, and Kyle found himself rushing from one room to the next, getting ready for school.

* * *

Once Kyle arrived at the school, he felt something in the air. It was heavy with tension, but he didn't know why. He thought that maybe he was just so tense himself that he projected it onto everyone else. After all, he was about to do something every fiber of his being told him not to do. Ike's words echoed in his head over and over again, getting louder each time, until Kyle once again felt the urge to scream, to drown out the voice in his head. However, something else smashed his thoughts: a second voice that echoed in his head even louder than Ike's. It was Stan's voice.

"Hey, Kyle."

Kyle's heart raced, he had butterflies and his words wouldn't come out. He stood in front of Stan, with his mouth half-open, futilely trying to speak. After a while, Kyle's apparent indecision made Stan concerned for his friend's well-being.

"I-Is everything alright?"  
"Yes! Everything's fine!" Kyle spat.  
"Uh... OK..."  
"S-Sorry. You kinda... startled me."  
"I... startled you?"  
"Y-Yeah! I was thinking about something, and you just... popped up out of nowhere!"

"_Right..._"

Kyle had always been bad at hiding the bigger secrets; something Stan had noticed over the years. However, just as he was about to ask Kyle was the big secret was, Kenny arrived, stopping him in his tracks.

"Hey, guys. 'Sup?"  
"We were just... talking." said Stan.  
"Alright."

A heavy silence surrounded the boys, which was taking its toll on their communication. Nobody wanted to break the silence, and, soon, it didn't matter. The bell rang, indicating the start of the school day. Each boy went to his respective class in silence, each trying to figure something out. Stan wanted to know what Kyle's big secret was, Kenny wanted to understand why the boys had remained silent for so long, and Kyle wanted to find a way to tell Stan the truth about his feelings. Even in his imagination, the words didn't come out.

"Kyle, if you wouldn't mind, could you pay a bit more attention to my class?"  
"Y-Yes, sir. Sorry."  
"...Just don't let it happen again."

Kyle's attempts to reveal his feelings proved futile. Every time he tried, he locked down completely; unable to speak or even move. Stan was also unable to get the truth out of Kyle, since Kenny didn't leave his their side. He was intent on spending as much time as he could with Kyle, even though each moment only reminded him that Kyle liked Stan. He wanted things to go back to the way they were before Kyle told him anything; back to when Stan was Kyle's best friend and Kenny didn't like him. He wanted things to go back to normal.

* * *

School was finally over, and Stan sighed in relief. The boys hadn't said a word to each other since it started, which was driving him insane.

"I'll see you guys later."  
"...Same here."  
"See ya, Stan."

"_So __**now**__ you want to talk..._"

The boys split up, and they all went straight home. Kenny was already growing accustomed to Kyle's presence after school, but, this time, it was different. Kyle had his own problems that he needed to deal with on his own.

* * *

Once Kyle lied down on his bed, certain that he would have a few minutes for himself, Ike approached him once again. He felt that their previous conversation hadn't gotten through to Kyle, and that would mean trouble.

"Hey, Kyle."  
"Hey... You know, I'm kinda jealous you get to come home before I do."  
"The perks of youth."  
"So..." groaned Kyle as he sat on his bed. "What do you wanna talk about?"

"_I can guess what it is, but I'd rather ask, just to be sure..._"

"I was just curious about who your crushes are."  
"...That's none of your business."  
"C'mon, Kyle... You know you can trust me."  
"If you **must** know, it's... it's Stan and Kenny."  
"Really? They're complete opposites!"

"_...You make a good point._"

"Like you said, we don't **choose** who we have a crush on."  
"I know."

Kyle waited for a while to hear what his brother was really after. Ike, on the other hand, was trying to summon the courage to talk about it. Eventually, he decided to just blurt it out and deal with the consequences afterward.

"Look, I didn't just come here to ask you that." said Ike as he sat down next to his brother.  
"That much I understand. I'm not an idiot, you know."  
"...I-I wanted to see how you were doing. After our last conversation, you seemed kinda... I don't know. I just wanted to be sure that you're OK."  
"I'm fine, Ike. Thanks."

Ike wrapped his arms around Kyle, who reciprocated and became overwhelmed with happiness. Ike was one of the main reasons Cartman had never pushed him over the edge; he knew he had people who loved him unconditionally, and Ike was one of them.  
After a few seconds, the brothers broke their hug. Ike's first instinct was to leave Kyle alone, but the red-haired boy had something to say.

"...C-Can I ask you for some advice?"  
"Sure. Anything you need, Kyle."

"_Kenny said the same thing... Hm..._"

"...Should I tell Stan about it? Or should I just stay quiet and hope it goes away? What about Kenny? I don't know what the fuck I should be doing."  
"Well... I'll admit I'm not very experienced with this, but I think your best bet would be to tell the one you like most about your feelings. They're your friends; you can trust them."  
"I don't know who I like most... It's confusing... Sometimes Kenny's acting like a white knight, other times he's acting like an idiot. Stan's no better. Most of the time he seems... distant, to say the least."  
"And you have a crush on both of them... Talk about screwed up."  
"It's not like that... Kenny's nice and somewhat smart. He's pretty too..."  
"Yeah; I get it. He's Mr. Perfect. What about Stan?"  
"Stan's... I... I don't know."  
"Really? If you want my opinion, it sounds like you like Kenny; not Stan."  
"It's difficult to explain. Stan's different from all the other guys."  
"If you say so... Look, I really have to get started on my homework. We'll talk later, alright?"  
"Sure... Thanks again, Ike."  
"Any time."

Ike left, although he was still somewhat unsure if his conversation was having any effect on Kyle. His suspicions were unfounded, however, as the only thing on Kyle's mind was the question of who he really liked. He couldn't deny that Stan made his heart flutter, but he also couldn't deny that Kenny had a bigger effect on him. He was also trying to figure out what he saw in Stan. Stan was a cynic, average-looking and somewhat short. Kenny, on the other hand, was tall, beautiful beyond description and emanated happiness. Save for a few groups of people, there wasn't anyone in all of South Park who didn't feel happy around Kenny. Kyle was no different; the mere mention of Kenny's name was enough to send him to the moon and forget all his troubles.

"_Kenny..._"

* * *

By the time the sun came up, Kyle had already disregarded everything he concluded. He felt confident in his own ability to judge people, and was about to break the news to Stan in a manner that left no doubt as to what was really going on.

"_I can do this..._"

Kyle repeated the sentence in his head, to psyche himself up, but, when he finally got next to Stan, his confidence shattered. He could barely breathe, and his heart began to race in his chest. He could feel every heartbeat; every molecule of air against his skin. He felt like he was about to pass out, and then Kenny arrived. Kyle slowly became more relaxed once Kenny showed his face. After just a couple of minutes, he was able to breathe calmly, as if nothing had been wrong in the first place.

"Hey. Why aren't you guys in class?"  
"Your watch must be off; it's not time yet."  
"Huh... So I woke up earlier for nothing?"  
"Pretty much."  
"Well, that sucks... So, how are you doing?"  
"I'm fine, Kenny."  
"What about you, emerald-eyes?"

"_'Emerald-eyes'? What the fuck is wrong with you?_"

"...I'm OK, Ken."  
"Glad to hear it."

The bell rang to announce the start of the school day whilst making conversation impossible, and the boys headed to their respective classes. Kyle tried to do what he wanted to at every opportunity, but his confidence always crumbled when it was time to do it. Eventually he gave up and decided to do it when they were walking home.

* * *

When the time came, Kyle followed Stan, although silently. Kenny fought the urge to follow him, instead choosing to go home as he was supposed to.  
Halfway across the trip, and once he made sure the boys were alone, Stan turned around and stared at Kyle, sending shivers down his spine.

"Why are you following me?"

"_Kenny's usually nicer about that..._"

"I-I... I wanted to talk to you... in private."  
"Well, we're alone now."

Kyle looked around nervously, to check if they really were alone. Stan was right; there wasn't a single person in sight. He could feel Stan's piercing eyes judging him; something he didn't like. It was making him feel even more uncomfortable than when he tried to tell Stan what he wanted to for the first time.

"C'mon; spill it!"

"_Fuck it._" thought Kyle.

In response to Stan's comment, Kyle grabbed the back of his head and their lips met for just a brief moment, before Stan pulled away in disgust. He spat on the ground several times and rubbed his lips with his hand, as if trying to clean them. Kyle didn't need any more hints. He ran away, as quickly as he could, without looking back to see if Stan was pursuing him. He ran for what seemed an eternity, and, finally, he reached his home. Kyle locked himself in his room, crying and sobbing at Stan's reaction.

* * *

Meanwhile, just as Kyle began his crying and sobbing, Kenny picked up his cellphone and skimmed through his contact list. His first thought was to call Kyle, but his gut told him that Stan was the way to go, and so he called Stan.

"Hey, Stan. What did Kyle want with you?"  
"Fuck, dude! Kyle just fucking kissed me!"  
"...Seriously?"  
"Yes! Fucking fag..."

"_And here I thought you were smart enough not to be intolerant._"

"What did he do afterwards?"  
"He ran. Which is a good thing, because I'd have kicked his ass for what he did."  
"Just calm down, dude-"  
"Don't tell me to fucking calm down! Fuck! If I didn't know you better, I'd think you were a fag too!"

Kenny remained silent for a few seconds, to see if Stan understood that Kenny, like Kyle, was gay. Once he realized this, Stan hung up the phone and continued to rant to himself in his bedroom. Kenny, on the other hand, picked up his parka and rushed toward Kyle's house, where the short ginger had passed out, and was now sleeping soundly. There were large wet stains on his pillow, which had been caused by his tears. Kenny slowly entered through the window and sat at his desk, trying to be as quiet as possible. Once he reached his desk, Kenny simply watched Kyle sleep, whilst trying to keep any noise to a minimum.

"_He's so cute when he's sleeping..._"

Kenny wanted to talk to Kyle, but he didn't want to disturb him. Kyle had clearly had a rough day; something Kenny could sympathize with.

* * *

The moon once again bathed the small town of South Park with its pale light. It filled Kyle's room and bounced off of his rosy cheeks, which, to Kenny, made them cuter than before.  
Kenny approached Kyle's bed, where the latter was still sleeping. He got closer to Kyle's head, drawn by an irresistible urge to kiss Kyle where he lied. He took a deep breath, taking in all the scents that came with Kyle – from his cologne to his shampoo – and smiled. He finally stopped when his lips were just barely scraping against Kyle's. He rubbed his nose against Kyle's, enjoying the soft skin brushing against his own, and, finally Kyle woke up. His eyes flew open and met Kenny's, who was scared beyond all rational thought.

"Um... Hey, Kyle."  
"...Hey."

Their lips were still scraping against each other as they spoke, much to their delight. Kyle could barely contain his excitement. If not for the awkwardness of the situation, he would have kissed Kenny several times already.

"What are you doing here?"  
"I heard about your... conversation with Stan, and I thought I'd... come here to see how you were doing."  
"...That's not everything, is it?"

Kyle seemed unusually calm, in spite of the whole situation. Kenny didn't know it, but his presence was the cause. If it had been anyone else, Kyle would've freaked out and kicked them out of his room.

"...I guess not."

Kenny's back was starting to ache, so he sat down properly on Kyle's bed. Kyle followed his example, and put his arm around him.

"Listen, Kyle... We've been friends a long time... I just... I want you to see me... **Really** see me. I know I'm not Stan, but... Dammit, I'm not a bad guy! All I want is for you to see me for what I am... I know people say I can't commit to anything, but that's not true! I just want someone... I want you."  
"Ken... I didn't know..."

"_Neither did I._"

Kenny sighed, somewhat nervously, as he had finally have declared his affection for Kyle. Kyle, on the other hand, could only think of one thing. In one swift movement, Kyle had Kenny lie down on his bed and lied down himself, facing him. Their lips met once again, this time in a passionate kiss. Once the boys broke the kiss, they felt relieved; as if a weight had been lifted from their shoulders. Kyle looked at Kenny's wristwatch and realized that it was some time past midnight. Kenny noticed it too, and, with that in mind, he could only think of one thing to say before one or both of them fell asleep; something Kyle reciprocated.

"...I love you."  
"I love you too, Ken."


End file.
